Ask for missing information as soon as you identify a dependency. State the detail needed, why it affects the task and when the answer is required. Continue independent work while waiting, then follow up before the deadline and make any remaining blocker visible.
A task seems ready to finish until you discover that someone else has the address, price or approval you need. Your deadline becomes an urgent request in their afternoon.
When you first review a task, identify the information you cannot obtain alone. Send those questions early, with enough context for the recipient to understand what you need. Give the actual date by which the answer affects the work.
Prepare a fallback
If an answer may not arrive, consider what can still proceed. You might draft the rest, use a clearly marked placeholder internally or ask whether a different person can confirm the detail. Do not present an assumption as a verified answer.
Follow up at a sensible point before the deadline and say what remains blocked. If late requests are a repeated problem, add a dependency check when work is assigned. The check can be brief: whose information does this need, and when should I ask? That small question often belongs at the start of a task instead of in its final hour.
A request sent while there is time to answer
An illustrative exampleSuppose a proposal is due Friday and needs a delivery estimate from another person. On Monday, send the product reference, the precise question and the date the estimate is needed for the draft. You continue writing sections that do not depend on it. In this hypothetical plan, you check progress Wednesday and ask whether someone else can confirm the information if necessary. An internal placeholder remains clearly labelled until the answer arrives. If the estimate is still missing, tell the person setting the deadline which part is blocked and what decision is needed. You avoid presenting an assumed estimate as a confirmed detail in the final proposal.
Write a request someone can answer
Tick the steps as you work through them.
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When an early request still gets no answer
Check whether the recipient is responsible for the information and has enough context. Follow up with the original question and deadline rather than adding unrelated material. Ask about an alternative contact where appropriate. If the dependency cannot be resolved in time, discuss scope, timing or an explicit limitation with the responsible person. Avoid escalating every delay as an emergency. For recurring work, put the dependency question at the start of the task so the necessary lead time becomes part of the ordinary plan.
Your dependency request
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